How can anyone recover from the shock about the disturbing news that one Sunday night during the country’s biggest longboard event, the 8th International Visayan Longboard Trilogy (VLT), where longboarder Lorraine Ramirez, 17, and sports enthusiast Nicole Jan Piñero, 21, were both stabbed to death by a male longboard rider with unaddressed mental health issues and allegedly under the influence of LSD*.
The Visayas Longboard Trilogy had attracted longboarding enthusiasts, local and foreign, to the race held in barangay Solangon in the town of San Juan in the island of Siquijor.
Reports have it that the incident happened inside the residence of the owner of Bruce Resort where the victims were billeted. It was not the official campsite of the participants, and that there were no VLT organizers, security personnel, nor marshals of any sort; the incident was out of the organizers’ control.
But nothing tragic is supposed to happen in Siquijor!
The family of the victims lament the helplessness and the somewhat- uncoordinated actions of the leadership in Siquijor.
Meanwhile, the leadership of Silliman University promptly extended assistance to the grieving family and friends. President Ben S. Malayang and Education Secretary Leonor M. Briones released on social media messages directly addressing the issues.
Police have so far arrested Michael Añabesa Manayon, 34, who was reportedly high on drugs, and who allegedly used six knives in attacking the victims.
Manayon is said to be a friend of Ramirez’s boyfriend.
Police have called the attention of the VLT organizers (Cebu-based) for not requesting security for the event.
In light of the incident, should we entertain or approve of the summary killings of drug addicts labelled as extra-judicial killings? Should we try to shake up the five pillars of the criminal justice system in the Philippines: law enforcement, Prosecution, the courts, the penal system, and the community itself, as a crime prevention tool?
It is more prudent to proceed with caution, as the senseless violence of this kind should not happen again to innocent victims like Nikki and Lorraine.
These are changing times, and this what President DU30 is passionate about: the elimination of the drug menace.
But while we agree with the goal, most people are not comfortable with the alleged summary executions.
This calls for a review of the pillars of the criminal justice system as it is the machinery which Philippine society uses in the prevention and control of crimes.
It bears emphasis that the administration of criminal justice is not the exclusive responsibility of the police, the prosecutors, the judges, and the Corrections personnel.
The criminal justice system relies on citizen participation. Without the active participation of the members of the community, the processes of the criminal justice system cannot operate.
The police rely on the citizens to report crimes and to assist them in the conduct of investigations. The prosecutors and the judges depend upon citizens as witnesses in the prosecution of the offender. The Corrections’ staff trust the people to support community-based corrections programs.
The community at large is expected to formulate moral and ethical values, develop the environment for the development of civic-spirited citizens, foster respect for and observance of the Rule of Law.
Public and private educational institutions, parents and guardians, churches, religious organizations, civic associations, among others, are collectively considered a component of the criminal justice system, and so are individual citizens who are supposed to prevent crimes, report offenses to the authorities, make warrantless arrests in proper cases, give evidence in court to put criminals behind bars, and help in the rehabilitation of offenders.
Will the senseless killings of Nikki and Lorraine shake up the community leaders working with the pillars of the criminal justice system to come together and formulate cooperative measures, to address the problem of possible drug- crazed killers in our midst?
Calling on the police and civic leaders to act promptly.
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*LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide) is one of the most potent, mood-changing chemicals. It is produced in crystal form in illegal laboratories, occasionally converted to liquid. It is odorless and has a slightly bitter taste. LSD is sold in the street in small tablets (“microdots”), capsules, or gelatin squares (“window panes”). It is sometimes added to absorbent paper, and divided into small squares decorated with designs or cartoon characters (“loony toons”). Users call an LSD experience a “trip” typically lasting 12 hours. When things go wrong, which often happens, it is called a bad trip, another name for “living hell”. LSD often leads the user to a serious disconnection from reality. (drugfreeworld.org)
Author’s email: whelmayap@yahoo.com
